Quite honestly, I can barely stand to watch this video anymore since it took me seven bajillion hours to make it and if I never hear the opening bars to Paul Simon's Graceland again it will be far too soon, but if you don't mind the fact that you're going to get the chorus stuck in your head for the next two weeks, here's something that captures pretty accurately the trip I took with my parents and sister last week to Memphis, Tennessee.

There's a lot of waving. I'm not quite sure why there's so much waving.

Upon hearing we were going to take this trip, the number one question I got was "wow, are you guys really big Elvis fans?" And while I'd say we're all pretty middle-of-the-road in our Elvis appreciation—I mean we like him, obviously (who doesn't?) but we're certainly a few notches down from the hardcore fans walking around Graceland who'd tap you on the shoulder if they heard you musing out loud about something and provide you with a historically accurate answer to the question you didn't know you were asking, along with several different source analyses and footnotes—our pilgrimage was nevertheless poignant, in part because that combination of the four of us isn't one that spends a lot of time together often.

And boy, did we make the most of it. We ate and drank and sang and talked, and made nightly trips to Target to buy cases of beer for our hotel minifridge. On Sunday afternoon, my mother even sent us all away for a half hour and set up an Easter Egg Hunt. My sister is 22, I am 32, and my dad is.....well, it's not polite to say, but let's just all imagine the spectacular tableau of three grown adults hunting for brightly colored eggs in 300 square feet of hotel room. It was wonderful. The whole trip was wonderful. Now if I could just get this song out of my head.

Your parents are adorable! They remind me of an English version of mine and I think mine are just the best things ever! Also, I hope you saw Daniel Tosh's standup because it is incredibly hilarious; if you enjoy crude humour as much as I do.

4

Angela Apr 13, 2012

That is fantastic! I have many of those same pictures, although when I was there in 1996-ish we didn't get to go upstairs to the bedrooms because it was closed off for some reason. Boo! I'm not an Elvis fanatic or anything either, but it's such a huge part of Americana that everyone should see it. I want that huge white leather couch SO BADLY! And the airplane, of course.

You guys are adorable! And moms are awesome... I am 31 and I BEGGED my mom not to send Easter baskets overseas to us this year because we really don't need them and we are getting ready to move. She ended up sending me a small one because she "didn't feel like a mom if she didn't send a basket" I love her!

You brought back so many memories from when I lived in Memphis. I went to Graceland every time someone came up to visit. Once I was there with my mom, and she noticed that Elvis' neighbor was relaxing in a kiddie pool while talking on a cordless phone. Odd. Also, one of my favorite theatre teachers used to love to go to Graceland for "death week" when people would go to the candle light vigils commemorating Elvis' death. Crazy town!

Did you go to Schwab's drugstore while you were on Beale Street? That place is a trip!

8

Amy Brown Apr 13, 2012

Well, I for one admire your zest for life and all it has to offer and can only hope to live such a fun life. Can I be adopeted please? Thanks for sharing.

I went to Memphis a few years ago with my husband who was attending a work conference. While he was doing work-y things, I decided to go to Graceland on my own. I have to say, visiting Graceland all by myself was pretty much the weirdest experience of my life. It took all of 15 minutes for me to see everything, and then I had to kill another hour and 45 minutes before the janky tour bus took me back to the hotel (the one with the ducks!). Let's just say, I knew that gift shop inside and out.

I love making movies on my Mac, and I KNOW how much work they are to make. That being said, I really appreciated your Graceland visit. I am not an Elvis FANatic, but I would love to go there simply because he was SO iconic, but it might have to be with a girlfriend because my husband is such an old-shoe about some things. Of course, I had to talk him into a visit to Chicago and he LOVED that, so maybe a visit is in the cards.

Please tell me how you were able to have the Paul Simon music on your YouTube video without them eliminating the background music altogether. They have ruined perfectly created videos because of their claim to music rights, etc Grrr. I'm not making any money on it, why do they care!

I watched your video. It was worth all your effort - if only to make me laugh on an otherwise crappy day !!!
Very sweet and seemed just too much fun all round.
Laughed at all the waving ! ;-)
Nice one !

17

Cheryl B Apr 16, 2012

Thanks for that, I really enjoyed it. Your hard work was not for nothing.

18

Sara Apr 16, 2012

You're so lucky that parents are so much fun! Count yourself blessed!

19

Libby Apr 17, 2012

This is adorable! I would love to piece together my iPhone videos. Which program do you use for editing? Thanks so much!

20

Russell Hicks Apr 17, 2012

Fantastic! Lots of smiles...and only a bit of waving!

21

Nothing But BonfiresApr 17, 2012

Thanks, all! Ari Marsh and Libby: I just used iMovie to make it -- it's surprisingly intuitive!

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